Did you know about 60% of the solid weight of your brain is FAT—yes, fat. It’s a scientifically proven fact:
Your brain and your body NEED healthy cholesterol and fatty acids to function optimally.
High cholesterol is obviously bad for the brain and body, yet low cholesterol has been associated with homicide, suicide and severe depression. To be healthy, you need to get enough of the
right types of fats daily.
Fat is Key
Fat plays an important structural role in your brain cell membranes. In fact, the
essential fatty acid DHA makes up a full quarter of all brain fat, and it’s the brain’s preferred fat for building membranes.
Your Brain, DHA & Fat
When your brain doesn’t get adequate amounts of DHA through the diet, it’s forced to use
inferior fats, such as saturated and trans fats. Brain cell membranes become more rigid with these inferior fats, which can slow information processing and overall brain function.
• Healthy young adults whose diets were low in DHA found that supplementation helped support healthy memory and reaction time.
• DHA also benefits seniors experiencing mild memory problems associated with aging. After one year, elderly subjects taking a DHA-concentrated fish oil supplement showed significant improvements in short-term and working memory compared to those taking placebo.
• And memory is just one aspect of cognitive function that Omega-3 supplementation supports: A meta-analysis of 10 randomized controlled trials found that it helps maintain an ideal attention span and quick processing speed too!
But let’s not forget about EPA:
• Although it doesn’t play the structural role that DHA does, it helps support mood and emotional balance.
• It’s thought that EPA may also support a healthy response to inflammation in the brain, by helping to maintain healthy metabolic pathways.
• In this regard, EPA appears to be more effective than DHA for mood support.
• Omega-3 supplementation has also been found effective in people who are prone to mood swings and supports a healthy response to occasional, everyday stress.
What to remember when getting the goods
• Because fish can accumulate toxins such as mercury, dioxins, and polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCB), it’s extremely important that the product be highly purified.
• Fish oil spoils easily; look for a product that is manufactured according to the highest quality standards.
• Choose a product that has a 60/40 ratio of EPA to DHA, starting with at least 500 mg of DHA. Some inferior quality brands are lacking in one or the other or sometimes both.
This is good news because it means that you possess the power to change your brain! There are many ways to become sick, but there is a clear path to wellness and it’s more simple than you think. If you are ready to transform your life, we can help you.
Improve Your Brain Health
At Amen Clinics, we have spent decades helping people just like you improve their brain health. Call us today at 888-288-9834 or schedule a visit.
